A few minutes later, Julia came up to me and said, “Joey’s in the crazy column, too. Yesterday, he spent the whole day walking like a robot.”

Then, she started stiffly walking back around the island, mimicking her robot friend. I began to feel sorry for her teacher.

As I drove to work, I couldn’t help but think about the crazy column. As an adult, how would I define “crazy?” I don’t think I would define it as having the confidence to make a spectacle of myself simply for attention—like my daughter and her friends apparently did. No, I think, I would define “crazy” as a general willingness to put myself out there and take a chance or a calculated risk.

If that’s the definition, I think, more often than not, I’m a member of the crazy column.

And, by that definition, I think the folks who created the projects in our annual Project Portfolio are also justifiably crazy. They all took calculated risks to create new places and spaces for their communities with amazing results—as you’ll see.

This might also be a good sentiment as we roll into the holiday season. Maybe this is the perfect time of the year to join the crazy column? Or, if you’re already a member, maybe take on a new project and become even crazier!

If all else fails, you can dance around your kitchen making funny faces and unseemly noises. Your family might not appreciate it, but I bet you’ll feel better when you’re done.

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